High tumour a tall order for zoo vets

Page Tools

NATIONAL Zoo veterinarians have operated on one of their
giraffes to remove a lemon-sized skin cancer.

The 3.96-metre Jafari was back on his feet and seemingly none
the worse in his habitat after the 45-minute procedure that
involved 28 people.

It was the first case of skin cancer reported among the tall,
spotted creatures, the Washington zoo's chief veterinarian, Suzan
Murray, said.

National Zoo veterinarians said the operation to remove the
tumour from Jafari's head went well but that the giraffe's
prognosis remained poor to guarded.

The medical team  which included a giraffe specialist from
Florida and a physician from the Children's Hospital  was
able to remove only 90 per cent of the tumour.

"It's a poorer prognosis than we had hoped for," Ms Murray said.
"The cancer appears to have infiltrated the bone."

Much of the medical procedure had never been attempted before,
zoo officials said.

Merely administering anaesthesia to the animal was difficult
because of its size and giraffes' tendency to regurgitate, which
could choke him while unconscious.

Zoo staff had to rig a special padded ladder on which to rest
Jafari's head, so they could lower it as the anaesthetic took
effect. Other personnel massaged Jafari's 1.83-metre neck to keep
it from developing kinks during the surgery.

The procedure was completed on a giant tarpaulin, which about 15
people used to lift the 522.5-kilogram animal back to its habitat
after the operation, officials said.

Jafari is being treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and
antibiotics. Veterinarians are discussing a chemotherapy regimen,
officials said.

But Ms Murray said that even if Jafari did not survive his
cancer, the process of diagnosing and treating the condition would
have taught veterinarians a lot about caring for giraffes.

"Even though the prognosis is poor, to some extent it's really
paving the way for managing giraffes in zoos," she said.